Friday, March 30, 2012
Lafayette College, Crayola will help fund Easton's struggling Ambassadors program.
Easton's downtown will continue to stay clean now that the program that sweeps its streets has some more green. Mayor Sal Panto announced Friday afternoon that two groups have stepped forward to provide more than $50,000 to fund the Ambassadors program. Panto said Lafayette College will contribute $30,000 while the Crayola Experience will kick in $25,000 to keep the people wearing red jackets that you see in the downtown cleaning up and providing other duties for the city. "You won't see the Ambassadors program go away under my watch," the mayor said. Still, though, Santo stressed that the program has a funding shortfall of between $60,000 to $75,000. "It's not doomsday. But we're looking for contributions. Next year's budget for the …
40.69061
-75.20912
Easton City Hall
1 S 3rd St, Easton, PA
/articles/easton-finds-funding-for-ambassadors
873517
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Thursday, March 15, 2012
Lawsuit prompted the creation of “expressway transitional zones” to provide designated space for the advertising signs.
A lawsuit by Adams Outdoor Sign Company has prompted Easton officials to propose changes to the city zoning map and create three "expressway transitional zones" that specifically allow for the placement of billboard advertising. "The bottom line is, [the city]...did not provide for any district for which this type of sign is allowed," city solicitor Joel Scheer told city council members during a hearing on the matter Wednesday evening. Being without a provision for billboard advertising on the city zoning maps not only leaves the city open to lawsuits, it give the city a lot less control over where such large signs should be placed, he said. "The courts have said, then they could place it anywhere," Scheer said. "We've reached an agreement…
40.69061
-75.20912
Easton City Hall
1 S 3rd St, Easton, PA
/articles/easton-zoning-changes-will-provide-for-billboards
873517
/locations/6594229
40.691051
-75.213042
501 Northampton St, Easton, PA
/articles/easton-zoning-changes-will-provide-for-billboards
/locations/6594230
Thursday, February 23, 2012
In the state of the city address, Mayor Sal Panto said continued economic development is his administration's highest priority.
Furthering local economic development, especially attracting new residents and job-creating businesses that will help grow Easton's tax base, is at the top of the city's to-do list, said Mayor Sal Panto, presenting the annual state of the city address to city council Wednesday evening. "Economic development – the retention of jobs, the creation of jobs and expansion of the tax base must be the highest priority of the City. We must be a best place to do business," Panto said. Panto kept the tone of the address positive and noted the number of improvements, completed projects and ongoing initiatives that have taken place during his administration, saying that "clean and safe," a platform he campaigned on four and a half years ago, is still …
40.69061
-75.20912
Easton City Hall
1 S 3rd St, Easton, PA
/articles/economic-development-the-highest-priority-mayor-says
873517
/locations/6436706
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Why a land value tax makes sense for Easton's Neighborhood Improvement District.
With the Neighborhood Improvement District back in the news, and the different funding options apparently still in flux, it's worth taking another look at some of the economic questions around this issue. We want to figure out which funding option achieves the city's aims in the most fair, efficient, and cost-effective way for taxpayers. To review, the city of Easton has a limited supply of land. In recent years, the land closest to the downtown has become more attractive, and accordingly, more expensive. Most people seem to roughly agree that the Ambassadors program and the Easton Main Street Initiative deserve some of the credit for this. But now the funding for those programs will end unless city council comes up with a way to fund them…
Amend Wun
9:46 pm on Friday, March 30, 2012
Gotta love the peanut gallery and it's empty "advice". more ›